Install VS Code on MacOS and Windows

Instructions for Installing Visual Studio Code (VS Code) on macOS and Windows

macOS

Step 1: Download VS Code

  1. Open your browser and go to the VS Code official download page:
    https://code.visualstudio.com/Download
  2. Under the macOS section, click the “Universal” download button to download the .dmg file.

Step 2: Install VS Code

  1. Once the download is complete, open the .dmg file.
  2. Drag the Visual Studio Code icon to the Applications folder.
  3. Open the Applications folder and double-click Visual Studio Code to launch it.

Step 3: Add VS Code to Your Path (Optional)

To make VS Code accessible from the terminal, add it to your PATH:

  1. Launch VS Code.
  2. Press Command + Shift + P to open the Command Palette.
  3. Type and select Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH.

You can now open VS Code from the terminal by typing code.

Step 4: Install GitHub Copilot Extension

  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Click the Extensions View icon on the Activity Bar (on the left) or press Command + Shift + X.
  3. Search for GitHub Copilot and click Install.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in with your GitHub account.

Windows

Step 1: Download VS Code

  1. Open your browser and go to the VS Code official download page:
    https://code.visualstudio.com/Download
  2. Under the Windows section, click the “User Installer” or “System Installer” download button for 64-bit.

Step 2: Install VS Code

  1. Run the downloaded .exe installer.
  2. Follow the installation wizard:
    • Accept the license agreement.
    • Choose the installation location (default is fine).
    • Check the box for “Add to PATH” during the installation process.
    • Click Install.
  3. Once installed, check the box to launch VS Code and click Finish.

Step 3: Open VS Code from the Command Line (Optional)

If you checked “Add to PATH” during installation, you can use the code command in the terminal or command prompt to open VS Code. For example:

code .

Step 4: Install GitHub Copilot Extension

  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Click the Extensions View icon on the Activity Bar (on the left) or press Ctrl + Shift + X.
  3. Search for GitHub Copilot and click Install.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in with your GitHub account.

Post-Installation Tips for Both macOS and Windows

  • Sign in to GitHub: After installing the GitHub Copilot extension, you will be prompted to log in to your GitHub account.
  • Install Additional Extensions: Consider installing popular extensions like:
    • Ruby: For syntax highlighting and IntelliSense.
    • Rails: For Ruby on Rails-specific support.
    • PostgreSQL: For database interaction.
  • Update Settings: Customize your editor settings by navigating to File > Preferences > Settings (Windows) or Code > Preferences > Settings (macOS).

By following these steps, you’ll have VS Code installed and ready to leverage GitHub Copilot for your coding projects!

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